South Korea plans to inspect all B737-800 Boeing aircraft operated by domestic airlines after a passenger jet crashed upon landing on Sunday, killing all but two of the 181 people on board in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters.
Acting president Choi Sang-mok has ordered emergency safety checks on the country’s airline operation system as investigators examine why the twin-engined Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air failed to deploy its landing gear, skidding down the runway before it struck a wall and burst into flames at Muan international airport in the south of the country.
On Monday morning, another B737-800 aircraft operated by the same airline returned to Gimpo domestic airport because of a warning message about its landing gear, Jeju Air told a briefing. The landing gear was later found to be working well, the airline said. Shares of Jeju Air slid to their lowest level on Monday, falling as much as 16 per cent.